Cnotes 2017 NFL Trends/Stats/News/Picks Thru The Super Bowl

[CNOTES]

Monday’s six-pack


Six most popular picks for Week 5 in the Westgate Super Contest:


6) Kansas City Chiefs even, 615- W


5) Buffalo Bills +3, 650- L


4) Los Angeles Rams -1, 725- L


3) Houston Texans even, 778- L


2) Cincinnati Bengals -3, 847- W


1) Detroit Lions -2.5, 1,053- L


Season record of top 6 picks: 13-17


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Monday’s List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday


Patriots 19, Buccaneers 14— Tampa Bay missed three FG’s; they’ll have a new kicker next week. Bucs had ball on Patriots’ 15-yard line when game ended, but ran out of time. Both teams gained 400+ yards, but combined to score only 27 points on seven red zone drives. Big improvement for New England defense, but they still allowed 409 yards.


Chargers 27, Giants 22— Manning was sacked/fumbled on his own 11 with 3:46 left, Chargers scored three plays later for their first win of the year. Giants are 0-5 and head to Denver next week without WR Beckham, who broke his ankle. Four of Chargers’ five games were decided by 5 or less points. Giants never got in red zone in this game; their TD’s were on plays of 23-29-48 yards. Chargers are 23-11-1 in last 35 games as a road underdog.


Bengals 20, Bills 16— Cincy outgained Bills 388-221, but turned ball over three times (-2); they held Buffalo to 3.8 ypa. Both teams scored 13 points on three red zone drives. Buffalo is now +8 in turnovers for the year, but they need their passing game to drive the bus now and then. For the week, individual team over/unders are 14-12 Under heading to Monday night.


Jets 17, Browns 14— Cleveland changed QB’s at halftime, trailing 3-0; Hogan went 16-19 for 194 yards in two TD’s in 2nd half, would think he is now the #1 guy. Browns had ball in red zone three times, scored zero points, turning ball over twice in red zone in first half, then losing ball on downs in 3rd quarter. Suddenly Jets have won three games in row and tied for first in AFC East with Bills/Patriots. Browns are 4-11 vs spread in last 15 games when favored.


Jaguars 30, Steelers 9— While the Giants are 0-5, Tom Coughlin’s Jaguars are 3-2- they picked Roethlisberger off five times in this game (+4), with pair of pick-6’s 2:30 apart in third quarter when Steelers led 9-7. Jaguars are +10 in turnovers already. Steelers lost two of last three games; they didn’t score a TD in this game. Jax ran ball for 231 yards; they’ve run ball for 155+ yards in 4 of their 5 games.


Dolphins 16, Titans 10— Awful offense on both sides; they averaged 3.1, 2.8 ypa- these are NFL teams!!! Dolphins have three TD’s on 42 drives this season- why are they paying Cutler $10M? Backup QB Cassel was 21-32/119 passing for Titans, who lost 57-14 LW. Titans are 8-34 on 3rd down the last three games- they went 3/out on 16 of last 26 drives. Longest play from scrimmage in this game was 17 yards- very rare there is a game with no plays of 20+ yards.


Colts 26, 49ers 23 (OT)— All three Indy home games have been decided by 3 points; Brissett threw an awful INT in red zone on Colts’ first possession of OT, but Vinatieri bailed them out on next possession, bitting 51-yard FG to send everyone home happy. Colts had 7 plays of 20+ yards, most of any NFL team this week; they had 11-yard edge in field position, but scored only 13 points on four red zone drives. At 2-3, Colts are still alive with QB Luck expected back soon.


Eagles 34, Cardinals 7— Philly won this game easily, holding Cardinals to 31 rushing yards- they averaged 9.6 ypa. Eagles are 39-73 on 3rd down this year- they’re up 1.5 games in NFC East. Arizona gave up 12 TD’s in their three losses, one each in their wins, by a FG each over Colts/49ers. Cardinals have run ball for only 51.8 yards a game this year- they lost field position by 15 yards in this game. Hard to win that way.


Panthers (3-1) @ Lions (3-1)— Carolina is now 3-0 on the road, scoring 23-33-27 points. Cam Newton lit Detroit up; he was 26-33/334 passing, averaging over 9.0 ypa for 2nd week in row. Newton lost his Dannon yogurt commercial because of his comment to a woman reporter last week- Dak Prescott takes his place. Detroit was +9 in turnovers coming in; they were -1 here, and lost field position for first time this year.


Seahawks 16, Rams 10— Los Angeles in the red zone Sunday:
1st quarter: Lost fumble on 1-yard line
2nd quarter: Kicked a 34-yard field goal
3rd quarter: Missed a 35-yard field goal
3rd quarter: Threw INT on a screen pass
4th quarter: Lost ball on downs as game ended.


Thats five trips to red zone, 3 points, a total of five turnovers (-3). Can’t win that way.


Ram opponents are 24-49 on 3rd down the last three games.


Ravens 30, Raiders 17— Baltimore’s season so far:
First two games: +7 turnovers, won 20-0/24-10. Led 17-0/21-7 at half.
Second two games: -5 turnovers, lost 44-7/26-9. Trailed 23-0/19-0 at half.
Sunday at Oakland: 8.5 ypa, no turnovers, led 21-3.


Raiders lost their last three games; their QB has a broken back, and his backup lost his last six NFL starts. Not good.


Packers 35, Cowboys 31— Aaron Rodgers drove Green Bay 75 yards on nine plays for the winning TD with 0:11 left, after Dallas had taken the lead with 1:13 left. Cowboys led 21-6 at one point, but Rodgers is a great QB- Packers are 4-1 now. Green Bay is now 7-1 in last eight games against the Cowboys, winning last three visits to Dallas, 37-36/34-31/35-31.


Chiefs 42, Texans 34— JJ Watt broke his leg, which took the air out of the building early on; Kansas City won/covered its first five games, scoring 17 TD’s on 52 drives. Chiefs are 13-2 as a road favorite under Reid. Rookie QB Watson threw five TD passes in a losing cause; in last two years, Cleveland has passed on Wentz, Prescott and Watson- their QB now is Kevin Hogan. Good thing guy that runs their franchise went to an Ivy League school- an educated imbecile.

 

[CNOTES]

NFL


Monday, October 9


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday Night Football Betting Preview and Odds: Vikings at Bears
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Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears (+3, 40)


The Chicago Bears have made a quarterback change while the Minnesota Vikings hope to follow suit on Monday when the NFC North rivals meet at Soldier Field. Second overall draft pick Mitchell Trubisky will make his NFL debut after offseason acquisition Mike Glennon committed four turnovers in Chicago's 35-14 loss to Green Bay on Sept. 28, while Sam Bradford aims to return after sustaining a knee injury in Minnesota's season opener.


"I feel like I'm ready," the 23-year-old Trubisky said. "I'm excited. I'm just going to take it day by day and prepare as hard as I possibly can for every single look and situation we can get on Monday." Trubisky faces a tall order against an aggressive Vikings' defense, which sacked Matthew Stafford six times in a 14-7 loss to Detroit on Sunday and ranks No. 1 in the league in third-down defense (25.6 percent conversion rate). The Vikings were dealt a brutal blow with the season-ending ACL injury to promising rookie Dalvin Cook in that contest, while Case Keenum completed just 16 of 30 passes for 219 yards. Bradford was limited in his return to practice on Thursday, but coach Mike Zimmer told reporters that "If he's ready to play, he'll play."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

POWER RANKINGS: Minnesota (-1.5) - Chicago (5.5) + home field (-3) = Minnesota -1

LINE HISTORY: The Vikings opened as 2-point road chalk and that number has been bet up to 3. The total hit the betting boards at 40.5 and has been bet down to 40.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: “Biggest question up on the air is the status on Vikings’ QB Sam Bradford, who is just 1-2 SU and ATS in his career adjacent the Bears. Meanwhile, backup QB Case Keenum is just 4-8 SU and 3-9 ATS against division foes, including 0-6 ATS as a favorite. The other question is whether Chicago can improve on its 5-12 ATS mark at home of late in Monday night games.” - Marc Lawrence



INJURY REPORT:


Vikings - RB Jerick McKinnon (Probable, Ankle), S Andrew Sendejo (Questionable, Shoulder), DT Shamar Stephen (Questionable, Back), LB Eric Kendricks (Questionable, Illness), G Danny Isidora (Questionable, Knee), QB Sam Bradford (Questionable, Knee), T Rashod Hill (Questionable, Knee), DT Sharrif Floyd (Questionable Week 10, Knee), RB Dalvin Cook (I-R, Knee).


Bears - DE Akiem Hicks (Questionable, Foot), QB Mark Sanchez (Questionable, Neck), C Hroniss Grasu (Questionable, Hand), LB Willie Young (Out For Season, Tricep), LB Danny Trevathan (Eligible Week 6, Possible Suspension), LB Jerrell Freeman (Questionable Week 10, Concussion).

ABOUT THE VIKINGS (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS, 2-2 O/U): Signed to a three-year, $15 million deal, Latavius Murray finds himself thrust into the lead-back role after seeing Cook exit following his non-contact injury. Murray, who rushed seven times for 21 yards after the rookie departed, admitted this week that his ankle is not 100 percent following offseason surgery. While Minnesota lost one impact player, it will see the return of another as Michael Floyd has served his four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. "I'm just going to be aggressive," the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Floyd said. "I'm an aggressive player. I'm going to go out there and make plays. That's just what I do. That's in me, and that's never going to stop."

ABOUT THE BEARS (1-3 SU, 2-2 ATS, 1-3 O/U): Chicago continues to rely heavily on its backfield, with Jordan Howard rolling up four rushing touchdowns while speedy Tarik Cohen ranks fourth among rookies with 331 yards from scrimmage and leads all NFL running backs with 24 receptions. Howard gashed Minnesota's defense in both encounters last season, rolling up 202 yards from scrimmage in a 20-10 win on Oct. 31 and adding 135 yards rushing in the finale. Cohen has 10 more receptions than Kendall Wright, who leads a banged-up wideout corps with 154 yards receiving. Tight end Zach Miller has been limited to just three catches on five targets in the last two games after reeling in 10 receptions in the first two.

TRENDS:


* Vikings are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games.


* Bears are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games.


* Under is 9-2 in Vikings last 11 games in October.


* Under is 7-1 in Bears last 8 games following a ATS loss.


* Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Chicago.

CONSENSUS: The public is siding with the road chalk Vikings at a rate of 60 percent and the Under is picking up 51 percent of the totals action.

 

[CNOTES]

NFL opening line report: Winless, broken Giants travel to Denver for Week 6
Patrick Everson


“You have to wonder what the mindset is right now in that Giants locker room. They have no running game, and they could be without their top three receivers."


A pair of one-loss teams tangle to open Week 6 of the NFL season in a Thursday night clash. We check in on the opening line for that contest and three other matchups, with insights from Scott Cooley, odds consultant for offshore sportsbook Bookmaker.eu.


Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers (-3)


Philadelphia is off to a solid start behind second-year quarterback Carson Wentz. The Eagles (4-1 SU, 3-2 ATS) trampled Arizona in Week 5, winning 34-7 as a 6-point home favorite, with Wentz throwing four touchdown passes.


Cam Newton weathered a media storm of his own making last week, then helped guide Carolina to a 4-1 SU, 3-2 ATS mark, as well. The Panthers edged Detroit 27-24 as a 2-point road underdog Sunday.

“A great matchup that will really give us some insight as to how good these teams really are,” Cooley said. “Carolina has been quite impressive the last couple of weeks, more so than we thought they were capable of. The Eagles have been on the radar all year, but have been even more dominant than anticipated. These teams are very close in the power ratings, so we assign the home team some advantage and see where the bettors go with it.”


Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs (no line)


Kansas City is the league’s lone undefeated team, and Alex Smith is playing like an MVP candidate. The Chiefs (5-0 SU and ATS) dropped Houston 42-34 laying 2 points in the Week 5 Sunday nighter, getting three TD passes from Smith – who has no interceptions this year.


Pittsburgh entered the season among teams with the shortest odds to make the Super Bowl, but hasn’t looked anything like a championship squad. On Sunday, the Steelers (3-2 SU, 2-3 ATS) were 7.5-point home faves against Jacksonville and got run out of their own building, 30-9.


Since K.C. was in the Sunday night contest, Bookmaker is waiting until Monday to post this line.

“If the Chiefs play as expected Sunday night, and nothing out of the ordinary happens on the injury front, we’ll look to make them around field-goal favorites,” Cooley said. “The Steelers aren’t the team they displayed in Week 5, but there is certainly something amiss in Pittsburgh.”


New York Giants at Denver Broncos (-9)


New York went 11-5 SU in the regular season last year to advance to the playoffs. Through five weeks of this season, the Giants are like Jacques Cousteau, still “In Search Of” their first victory. (You youngsters, go look up that reference if you need to.)


The Giants (0-5 SU, 2-3 ATS) got an Odell Beckham Jr. touchdown catch to take a 22-17 lead over San Diego early in the fourth quarter Sunday. But New York didn’t score the rest of the way, lost Beckham to a broken ankle and lost the game 27-22 as a 3-point home chalk.


Meanwhile, Denver (3-1 SU, 2-1-1 ATS) is coming off its bye week, following a 16-10 Week 4 victory laying 3.5 points at home against Oakland.


“You have to wonder what the mindset is right now in that Giants locker room,” Cooley said. “They have no running game, and they could be without their top three receivers. Going on the road to play in the altitude against a great defense is not what this team needed. Early action from the pros has moved this to -10.”


In fact, later Sunday night, the line jumped to 10.5 at Bookmaker.eu.


Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (no line)


Green Bay looks to be firing on all cylinders, certainly on offense, after reaching 35 points two weeks in a row. On Sunday at Dallas, the Packers (4-1 SU, 3-2 ATS) trailed 21-6 in the second quarter, but climbed out of that hole and left the Big D with a 35-31 victory catching 2.5 points. Aaron Rodgers capped the comeback with a 12-yard TD pass to Davante Adams with 11 seconds remaining.


Minnesota (2-2 SU and ATS) still has Week 5 work to do, traveling to Chicago in the Monday night game. The Vikings should have quarterback Sam Bradford back tonight, but until that game wraps, Bookmaker.eu will hold off on setting the Pack-Vikes opening line.

“It appears as if Bradford is going to play Monday night, so we’ll see how he looks throwing the ball and moving around in the pocket,” Cooley said. “Still, it’s unlikely we’ll make Minnesota a favorite. Aaron Rodgers is just playing too well right now, and the betting public is fully aware of that fact. The Vikings will likely be short home ‘dogs when this line is released Monday night.”

 

[CNOTES]

NFL Record For Sept......Based on 5 units ( Best Bets and Opinons )


Totals...................41 - 30 - 1...........57.74%...........+ 40.00


Best Bets:


Best Bets Total.............7 - 6......+2.00............7 - 7.........- 3.50................- 1.50




Dog Of The Month........1 - 0


Total Of the Day...........1 - 0




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NFL Record For Oct......Based on 5 units ( Best Bets and Opinons )


10/08/2017 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00
10/05/2017 1-0-1 100.00% +5.00
10/02/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/01/2017 9-12-0 42.86% -21.00


Totals............19 - 23 - 1....45.23%....-31.50




Best Bets:...................ATS...................Unit s........... ..O/U.............Units...............Total


10/08/2017.................3 - 3.................-1.50.............2 - 4...........-12.00...............-13.50


10/05/2017.................0 - 0 - 1.............0.00.............1 - 0...........+5.00................+ 5.00


10/02/2017.................1 - 0................+5.00.............0 - 1............-5.50.................- 0.50


10/01/2017.................4 - 4.................-2.00.............2 - 2............- 1.00.................- 3.00


Totals.........................8 - 7 - 1............+ 1.50...........5 - 7............-13.50................-12.00


Sunday Night 2 Team Parlay...........................0 - 2.................................-10.00


***********************


MONDAY, OCTOBER 9


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIN at CHI 08:30 PM


CHI +3.5 *****


U 40.5 *****

 

[CNOTES]

Keenum leads 3 scoring drives, Vikings beat Bears 20-17
October 9, 2017


CHICAGO (AP) Case Keenum led three second-half scoring drives in relief of Sam Bradford, and the Minnesota Vikings spoiled prized rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky's debut with a 20-17 victory over the Chicago Bears on Monday night.


Kai Forbath kicked a 26-yard field goal in the closing seconds after Harrison Smith intercepted Trubisky, and the Vikings (3-2) came away with the win after dropping two of three.


Called on after Mike Glennon struggled in the first four games, Trubisky played like he belonged. The No. 2 overall pick was 12 of 25 for 128 yards with a touchdown.


The interception came after the Bears (1-4) took over on their 10 with 2:32 left in the game. Smith picked off a pass intended for Zach Miller on the right sideline at the 22.


The Vikings got the ball at the 28, and Forbath booted the winner with 16 seconds left.


Bradford could barely move after missing three straight games because of swelling and soreness in his left knee.


He was just 5 of 11 for 36 yards and was sacked four times - including a safety by Leonard Floyd.


Keenum replaced him with 25 seconds left in the first half and went 17 of 21 for 140 yards and a touchdown.


Jerick McKinnon had a 58-yard touchdown run. Everson Griffen contributed a strip-sack against Trubisky that led to a field goal, and the Vikings beat Chicago on the road for just the third time in 17 games.


The Bears simplified their offense for Trubisky, with fewer receivers and extra blockers at times. But he still showed the mobility and arm strength that convinced general manager Ryan Pace to trade up a spot with San Francisco to grab him on draft night.


Jordan Howard ran for 76 yards. Pat O'Donnell threw a 38-yard touchdown to Benny Cunningham on a fake punt. Floyd had two sacks.


Minnesota was leading 3-2 when Keenum hit Kyle Rudolph for a 13-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter. The Vikings celebrated by playing duck-duck-goose in the end zone.


The Bears lined up to punt on a fourth down at the Minnesota 38 on the next possession. But O'Donnell passed to a wide-open Cunningham, who spun around Marcus Sherels on the way to the end zone, cutting it to 17-9.


Chicago used another trick play to tie it.


The Vikings' Andrew Sendejo tipped a pass right to Zach Miller in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown. The trickery came on the two-point conversion.


Trubisky handed the ball to Howard, who gave it to Miller. Miller then pitched it to Trubisky, who ran it in on the right side to tie it at 17-all with 12:24 left in the game.


TRANSACTION


The Vikings released running back Stevan Ridley after only five days to make room for receiver Michael Floyd, whose four-game suspension from a drunken driving arrest with Arizona last year expired.

INJURIES


Bears: LB John Timu left with a knee injury early in the third. He was hurt trying to tackle Latavius Murray and had to be helped off the field. ... LB Willie Young (triceps) and cornerback Marcus Cooper (back) were inactive.


UP NEXT


Vikings: Host Green Bay on Oct. 15.


Bears: Visit Baltimore on Oct. 15.

 

[CNOTES]

Opening Line Report - Week 6
October 9, 2017


A marquee NFC matchup gets the NFL’s Week 6 card off to a fine start, as a pair of 4-1 teams – the Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers – meet Thursday night in Charlotte. Based on the early numbers, the betting market rates these teams evenly, as most Las Vegas sports books opened the home side a field-goal favorite.


There’s been an early move on the Panthers, who have been moved to -3 (-120) at the Westgate SuperBook, William Hill and the Wynn, and are even being asked to lay -3.5 at a few shops around town.


Playing on the road off short rest is never an easy task in the NFL, and making it even more difficult for the Eagles this week is that the Panthers appear to have hit their stride.


“I don’t know if they’re going to be as good as they were two years ago when they went to the Super Bowl (after a 15-1 regular season), but they’re really starting to jell, they’re starting to put those pieces together,” Chris Andrews, sports book director at the South Point, said of the Panthers. “This is going to be a very formidable team down the stretch.”


The Eagles, meanwhile, are playing pretty well themselves, Sunday’s 34-7 win over Arizona their third straight. Their only loss, in fact, came at still-undefeated Kansas City (more on the Chiefs later in this piece). Folks around Vegas, though, are wondering when the Eagles’ run will end.


“Philly’s probably due for a let-down game,” Andrews said. “A lot of guys were on the Cardinals (+6.5 at Philly on Sunday), and I don’ t know if it was a bet on the Cardinals as much as a bet against Philly, just (bettors) thinking you can only go to the well so many times. But it was a big win, very impressive. I’ve been nothing but impressed with Philly all year, but this is a spot where I lean toward Carolina.”


Here’s a look at the rest of the Week 6 slate.


Sunday, September 15


Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans (-10, 44.5)

Houston -10.5, at the Westgate on Sunday night, was the first line posted on this game, but it re-opened -10 Monday morning, after the Texans’ comeback attempt against the Chiefs fell short. In fact, there are -9.5s available as of this Monday afternoon writing for gamblers looking to lay the wood.


New England Patriots (-9.5, 47.5) at New York Jets


The Jets +10s that flashed on betting boards seemed to have been snapped up, as 9.5 prevails as the number throughout Las Vegas. While the Jets’ three-game winning streak hasn’t come against what we’d call a murderers’ row, they’re clearly better than most people thought they’d be ahead of the season – they’re a win away from going ‘over’ their season win total!

QB Josh McCown has played well enough to keep the Jets afloat, but that’ll be a tougher task against a New England team on a week-and-half rest.


“The guy’s had a pretty long career in the NFL. Everybody’s trying to get rid of him, but he’s not bad,” Andrews said of McCown. “They might be able to hang in there (vs. the Pats). I wouldn’t lay that number on the road, but I’m not chompin’ at the bit to bet the Jets, either.”


Miami Dolphins at Atlanta Falcons (-11, 47)


Atlanta’s been bet up from its opening price of -9.5, and one can understand why. The Falcons are coming off a home loss to the Bills and a bye week, and it’s difficult to envision the Dolphins keeping up offensively.

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints (-4, 51)


New Orleans was adjusted from -3.5 to -4 at the Westgate, and is priced as high as -4.5 at CG Technology. While some handicappers may still be under the impression that the Saints are a good bet at home, they’re a bankroll-busting 4-12-1 ATS as a favorite in the Superdome over their last 17 opportunities in the role. Two of those losses have been against the Lions, who have beaten the Saints in four straight seasons, including the last two in New Orleans.


Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings


Injury concerns on both sides of this NFC North matchup have oddsmakers hesitant to hang a number.


Chicago Bears at Baltimore Ravens (-7, 41.5)


Baltimore by a touchdown was the number posted on this game before the betting market got its first glimpse of Bears rookie QB Mitch Trubisky.


San Francisco at Washington Redskins (-10, 46.5)


The Westgate moved Washington from -9 to -10, while William Hill and the Wynn went from -9.5 to -10, as gamblers may have noticed this gross scheduling inequity: San Fran is playing its third-straight road game, in a 1:00 pm ET content no less, against the Redskins, who had last week off.


Los Angeles Rams at Jacksonville Jaguars (-2.5, 43.5)


It feels weird to write this, but Rams-Jags is one of the more interesting games on the Week 6 schedule.


Jacksonville priced at less than a field goal at home indicates the market rates the Rams a notch higher, a sentiment Andrews agrees with.


“Gun to my head, I’m probably buying both (teams) right now,” Andrews said. “The Rams have showed real improvement, particularly offensively. (Jared) Goff is a pretty legit quarterback. He looks like one of those guys who needed the right kind of coaching and he’s getting it this year.


“I’m not quite so enthused about Jacksonville,” Andrews added. “They’ve had horrible run defense, although they did play every well (at Pittsburgh on Sunday), but I’m not sure that was them playing well or the Steelers playing poorly. They have a very good pass defense. They still have Blake Bortles at quarterback, which is a huge question mark, but Leonard Fournette looks like he’s a pretty good runner.”


Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5, 44.5) at Arizona Cardinals


This game opened pick ‘em at the Westgate, but by Monday afternoon, Tampa was laying -2.5 for next week’s road contest. Some shops are dealing -2 as of this writing.


Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs (-4, 46)


The first Vegas line on this game had the Chiefs laying -2 (-120), but that inexpensive offer on Kansas City was pushed to -3 within minutes. On Monday, even -3.5's didn’t last long, with Chiefs -4 becoming the number being dealt all over town.


The Chiefs are a head-turning 27-4 SU in their last 31 regular-season games, and they’ve been cashing lots of ticket to boot.


“I’ve been on Kansas City since last year and certainly nothing this year would deter me from that opinion,” Andrews said. “Besides winning every game, they’ve covered every game (this season), too. It’s only October, but I think right now, they’re the best team in the NFL.”


All that said, Pittsburgh figures to be dangerous getting 4 points in this spot.


“Pittsburgh for years, especially under (Mike) Tomlin, has been known to play down to their competition,” Andrews said the day after the Steelers’ 30-9 home loss to the Jaguars. “Not that Jacksonville’s all that down this year, but I can see where the Steelers wouldn’t be tremendously motivated against them, thinking they probably had this win. I’m not as concerned about the Steelers as I am about some other teams that threw in some real clunkers.”

Los Angeles Chargers at Oakland Raiders (no line)


Bookmakers await word on Derek Carr’s status.


New York Giants at Denver Broncos (-12, 41)

The opening line of Denver -9 skyrocketed to -12 by Monday afternoon, and the reason for the move against the winless Giants is obvious.


“They haven’t had much of a running game all year, now they lose four receivers (including All-Pro Odell Beckham Jr.),” Andrews said. “Obviously, they’re really hurting. It’s not just a bad game here or there – they have some real issues.”


Monday, September 16


Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans (no line)


There are questions about the status of both starting quarterbacks here, as Andrew Luck looks to get on the field for the first time this season, and Marcus Mariota tries to recover from a hamstring injury suffered two weeks ago. Luck will likely sit again for the sixth straight week.

 

[CNOTES]

Chiefs help books win
October 9, 2017


The Kansas City Chiefs are 9/1 at the Westgate SuperBook to win the Super Bowl and right now they are definitely looking Super. Their 42-34 win at Houston Sunday night took them to 5-0 straight-up and against-the-spread on the season. They are the best bet in football right now and surprisingly, they aren't the most bet team in the NFL. Bettors don't seem to believe in their awesomeness.


But I do and I'll tell you why. These guys don't make mistakes. I love that. I so sick and tired of watching chumps turn the ball over when I have a wager. With the Chiefs, I never have to worry. Last season they led the NFL in turnover margin at +17 and this season they're fourth at +6. They've had only one turnover this season and it came in Week 1 when rookie RB Kareem Hunt fumbled on his first career carry.


Since then, Hunt has gained 775 yards and scored three TDs. The dude is awesome and will probably win rookie of the year if Deshaun Watson doesn't throw for five TDs in every game. Kansas City just has the look of a Super Bowl team right now. When Alex Smith is stretching defenses downfield, the opponent is in trouble. Head coach Andy Reid is doing a masterful job and the Patriots, who are now 5/1 to win it all, don't match-up. We got a preview of how great the Chiefs were in Week 1 when they won 42-27 at New England.

The Chiefs win Sunday night took the favorites to 6-6 ATS on the day with most of the books rooting for the Texans.


"It was a decent day, but we could have used the Texans and Under," said Stratosphere oddsmaker Hugh Citron.


The Over went 6-6 as well but the biggest win across town was the Steelers losing 30-9 at home to the Jaguars. Jacksonville paid +300 with the win.


"Pittsburgh losing was a huge game for us just because it took care of a lot of teasers and money-line parlays," said Citron. "Carolina also helped us in the same situation."


The underdog Panthers won 27-24 at Detroit. They were one of six outright underdog winners on the day and paid +120 on the money-line. Every underdog that covered the spread on Sunday won outright.


"Seattle beating the Rams was good for us," Citron said.


The high-powered Rams offense was slowed by Seattle in a 16-10 Seahawks win. All three afternoon games were won outright by the underdogs.


"Green Bay's win was flat just because it went Over," said Citron of the packers 35-31 win at Dallas.


Man, Aaron Rodgers is some kind of quarterback. The dude does some amazing stuff.


Bettors go back to the drawing board as confused as ever. The only certainty is that Kansas City is awesome.

 

[CNOTES]

Betting Recap - Week 5
October 9


Overall Notes


NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE WEEK 5 RESULTS


Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 7-6
Against the Spread 7-6


Wager Home-Away
Straight Up 4-9
Against the Spread 4-9


Wager Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 6-7


The largest underdogs to win straight up
Jaguars (+7.5, ML +310) at Steelers, 30-9
Chargers (+3, ML +145 ) at Giants, 27-22
Ravens (+3, ML +125) at Raiders, 30-17


The largest favorite to cover
Eagles (-6.5) vs. Cardinals, 34-7
Patriots (-4) at Buccaneers, 19-14
Bengals (-3) vs. Bills, 20-16


Keep Pounding

-- The Carolina Panthers have fired out to a 4-1 record, winning their second straight game on the road against a winning team. The Panthers topped the Detroit Lions, 27-24, holding off a charge from Matt Stafford and his usual fourth-quarter heroics. The Panthers are now a perfect 3-0 SU/ATS on the road, and the 'over' has cashed in each of their past three outings, too. They have a short week before returning home to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football, their first prime time game of the season.


Odd-Week Heroes


-- There is something about odd-numbered weeks that really agrees with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags thrashed the Pittsburgh Steelers by a 30-9 count, moving to 3-0 SU/ATS in odd-numbered weeks, while going 0-2 SU/ATS in even-numbered weeks. The good news for the Jaguars is that their bye falls in Week 8. Next up is a home game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Jags lost their only appearance in Northeast Florida this season back in Week 2, as the Tennessee Titans hammered them 37-16.


Total Recall


-- Sunday Night Football was a shootout between Kansas City-Houston (45), as the Chiefs held off the Texans 42-34. There were just 36 total points on the board heading to the final quarter, but the teams combined for a ridiculous 40 points. The high-scoring game pulled the 'over' to 6-7 on the week with the Monday Night Football game still left to go.


-- The lowest total on the board -- Buffalo-Cincinnati (39) ended up going 'under' by three points, helped out by the soggy weather. There were rainy conditions in the Steel City, too, as Jacksonville-Pittsburgh (41.5) ended up just 'under' the number. It's important to watch the weather leading up to game time. There were sunny conditions in South Florida, but Tennessee-Miami (41.5) also went under. It was helped out by the fact the Titans had backup QB Matt Cassel under center for the injured QB Marcus Mariota.


-- The L.A. Chargers-N.Y. Giants (45.5) ended up going 'over' despite the fact both teams entered 0-4, and the G-Men lost four wide receivers. It was the second straight over for the Bolts, and the over is a perfect 2-0 in two road games for Los Angeles. It was the third consecutive over for the Giants, too. That will be put to the test next weekend on the road against the Denver Broncos.

-- The 'Over' is 9-7 (56.3%) through the first 16 primetime games of the 2017 season, with Monday's game between the Minnesota Vikings-Chicago Bears still pending. Officially, the 'over' finished 27-24 (52.9%) through 51 games under the lights in 2016. In 2015, the over finished 20-28-1 (41.7%) in 49 primetime games. In 2014, the over went 33-17 (66%) in primetime games, and the over was 28-22 (56%) in 2013.


Injury Report


-- Bills TE Charles Clay (knee) was forced to the cart after a knee injury in Cincinnati, not helped out by slippery conditions in the Queen City.


-- Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (concussion) is in the concussion protocol after checking out at halftime in Sunday's game in Houston. WR Chris Conley (Achilles') is believed to have suffered a ruptured Achilles' tendon.


-- Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. (ankle) suffered a fractured left ankle in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss against the Chargers. It was an ugly day for G-Men pass catchers, as WRs Dwyane Harris (fractured foot), Brandon Marhsall (ankle) and Sterling Shepard (ankle) also left injured.


-- Texans DE J.J. Watt (knee) was taken to the hospital after suffering a serious knee injury. He is scheduled for an MRI.


Looking Ahead


-- The Packers will travel to face the Vikings in Week 6. The Packers enter the game with an impressive 46-22 ATS mark over their past 68 divisional games. The Vikings enter the game enter the game just 2-5 ATS over their past seven against teams with a winning mark. The home team is also 9-4 ATS in the past 13 meetings in this series, while the underdog has cashed in four of the past five in this series.


-- The Patriots hit the road for the Jets, and not many predicted that the winner of this Week 6 game would be in first place in the AFC East. But the Jets enter play with three consecutive victories, helped in large part by a last-place schedule. New England covered on the road in Week 5 at Tampa, pushing their record to 10-1 ATS over their past 11 away from home. They're also an impressive 10-3 ATS in their past 13 against AFC teams, and 7-1 ATS in their past eight against winning teams. The Patriots are a dismal 1-6-1 ATS in the past eight in this series, including 0-4 ATS in their past four trips to New Jersey. The underdog is 6-1-1 ATS in the past eight in this series, too.


-- The Chargers hit the road for the Black Hole to battle the Raiders. The Bolts have had tremendous success in this series, going 10-4 ATS in the past 14 trips to Oakland, and the underdog is 14-2 ATS in the past 16 meetings overall. The road team has hit in five straight in this series, too. Both sides have had their trouble against the number vs. divisional foes. L.A. is 0-4-1 ATS in their past five against AFC West teams, while the Raiders are 2-5 ATS in the past seven against divisional foes.


-- The Colts head to the Music City next Monday for a battle with the Titans. The Colts are an impressive 19-8-2 ATS in their past 29 against AFC South teams, while the Titans are a dismal 13-36-3 ATS in their past 52 divisional games.They're also just 5-11-2 ATS in their past 18 at home against teams with a losing road record. However, Tennessee has covered five straight appearance on Monday night. The Colts have dominated this series, going 10-1 ATS in the past 11 meetings, while going 4-1 ATS in their past five trips to Nashville.

 

[CNOTES]

Buyer's Remorse - Week 5
October 9, 2017


What We Learned From Week 5

A crude Thursday Night Football game led to one of the more unexpected weeks so far. This season has been absolutely bizarre, and the shenanigans continued through Week 5.


Let’s take a look at the big upsets and some of the stunning wins from Sunday.


Odds per BetOnline.ag

Jacksonville Jaguars +7.5 over Pittsburgh Steelers


It wasn’t just the Jaguars won this matchup, it’s how they did it. Running back Leonard Fournette pounded the Steelers with 181 yards and 2 touchdowns, making this the second time a team has run all over their hapless defense. More worrisome was Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s performance as he amassed 5 picks, two of which were returned for touchdowns in back-to-back drives.

Strangely enough, the Steelers are certainly not out of the division race so there’s plenty to play for but Pittsburgh has gone from a relatively known commodity to a totally unstable one in a matter of weeks. However, playing at Kansas City in Week 6 isn’t going to make things any easier.

Cincinnati Bengals -3 over Buffalo Bills


The oddsmakers have been trying to undersell the Bills because the expectation was that they were underperforming. The truth is that one play decided this game – the 77-yard touchdown to A.J. Green at the beginning of the game. Outside of that slip-up, the Bills accounted for three turnovers while completely stuffing the run game.

We know that the Bills are great defensively and limited offensively, but the big takeaway here is that the Bengals have gotten their act together. Dalton still threw for 328 yards and while there is no point investing in this team long-term, they do have the fourth easiest schedule according to pre-season rankings. For now, they’re a worthy week-to-week look depending on the matchup.

New York Jets +1.5 over Cleveland Browns


Josh McCown revenge games are a thing, I guess.

Miami Dolphins -1 over Tennessee Titans


Anyone who bet on this game was asking for trouble. I guess it’s cool that Miami won? They beat Matt Cassel. Do you really care?

Carolina Panthers +2.0 over Detroit Lions


The death of Cam Newton was greatly exaggerated. Throwing for 355 yards and 3 touchdowns against a decent secondary says enough, especially when the Panthers collected just 28 yards on the ground. And their defense was awesome against a Detroit offense that attacked it relentlessly from all angles.

One of the big concerns for Detroit is the fact that they can’t seem to get a lead. They’ve trailed the Cardinals and Falcons as well by massive differentials, which makes them a gut wrenching play that’s still only worth taking with tight lines. The Lions weren’t a bad play by any stretch. We just didn’t know that Carolina would pull everything together after a soft start.

L.A. Chargers +3 over New York Giants


Losing wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall and Sterling Sheppard throughout the game was brutal. All of them seem like they’re going to be out for a long time, if not the season. For what it’s worth, the Giants were working the ball downfield well until all of their passing weapons were sent to the graveyard. Great win for the Chargers, and a loss for the Giants that is immeasurable. Can’t wait to see the line on Giants-Broncos for Week 6. It’s going to be huge.

Seattle Seahawks +2 over Los Angeles Rams


Jarod Goff and Todd Gurley finally came back to earth against the Seahawks. This was a huge must-win for the Rams, who are now tied for the lead in the NFC West by win-loss. Both teams are about equal – erratic offensive outputs combined with fantastic defensive units that outplay their statistical metrics. I can’t wait to see how this rivalry plays out later in the season. Considering the overwhelming parity of the season, both teams will always have a fighting chance. The main difference is that Seattle remains a public team that sometimes faces inflated lines.

Green Bay Packers +2.5 over Dallas Cowboys

Aaron Rodgers finally has the running-back he deserves in the form of rookie Aaron Jones, who ran for 125 yards and 1 touchdown. But this game was more about Dallas’s porous, injury riddled defense that now ranks 29th in the league in points allowed with 26.4. They’ve now given up three points to the hapless Giants, 17 to the Cardinals and 42, 35 and 35 in their three other games. Hopefully the bye week gets them sorted out

 

[CNOTES]

NFL notebook: Dolphins' coach resigns after video surfaces; Beckham, Watt done
October 9, 2017


Miami Dolphins offensive line coach Chris Foerster resigned Monday morning after a video surfaced showing him snorting an unknown white power substance off a table while at work.


The Miami Herald first reported Sunday night the team was investigating the 56-second video that leaked online. Less than 12 hours later, Foerster was gone.


Dolphins head coach Adam Gase, who hired Foerster in 2016, said he spoke with him on Sunday night. Gase said Foerster apologized about the situation.


"He's disappointed," Gase told reporters at Monday morning's news conference. "He's upset, he's mad at himself. It's unfortunate."

--New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will undergo season-ending surgery this week for his broken left ankle, coach Ben McAdoo confirmed.


The three-time Pro Bowl star was injured with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter of a 27-22 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, dropping the Giants to 0-5. Beckham had to be carted off the field after he landed and twisted his ankle underneath a hit from Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward.


Beckham was the last of four Giants receivers to go down on Sunday. He finished the game with five catches, a season-high 97 receiving yards and one touchdown against the Chargers.


The team also said Dwayne Harris (broken foot) will have surgery Tuesday, Brandon Marshall (ankle) was getting additional tests Monday and Sterling Shepard (ankle) was considered day-to-day with a sprained ankle.


--Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien confirmed that star defensive end J.J. Watt will miss the rest of the 2017 season after he suffered a leg fracture during Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.


Watt fractured the tibial plateau in his left leg during the Texans' first defensive series of the 42-34 loss against Chiefs at NRG Stadium.


O'Brien also said the Texans lost outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus for the season after he tore a pectoral muscle on the same drive in the first quarter as Watt's injury.


Watt crumpled to the ground while attempting to pressure Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith on third down from the Texans 17. Watt initially remained on his knees before rolling over on his back and displaying obvious discomfort.


--Hall of Fame quarterback and 1963 NFL Most Valuable Player Y.A. Tittle died Sunday. He was 90.


LSU, his alma mater, confirmed that Tittle passed while surrounded by his family and friends.


Born Yelberton Abraham Tittle on Oct. 24, 1926, Tittle played collegiately with the Tigers from 1944-47 before being drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1948. However, Tittle began his 17-season professional career with the Baltimore Colts of the All-American Football Conference and later played for the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants, with whom he led to three straight division titles.

--NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith released a statement regarding players protesting during the national anthem, saying "no player is disrespecting our country or our flag."


Smith's statement comes following Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' comments on Sunday that his players must stand for the anthem or else they would not play. In addition, Vice President Mike Pence left Sunday's game in Indianapolis when the visiting San Francisco 49ers knelt during the national anthem before facing the Colts.


"Last week both the Commissioner and the Chair of the NFL Management Council John Mara were clear when they assured our union leaders, in the presence of other owners, that they would respect the Constitutional rights of our members without retribution," Smith said in a statement. "I look forward to the day when everyone in Management can unite and truly embrace and article what that Flag stands for: 'Liberty and Justice for All' instead of some of them just talking about standing. We look forward to continuing our talks with them on this very issue.


"No player is disrespecting our Country or our Flag. As thousands have shown in the past, it takes bravery and courage to speak and confront these issues as our players have, especially when it is unpopular with some. There is room for Management to do the same and maybe then players do not have to risk the taunts and threats alone. This is their opportunity to lead as well and will be a true test of the motto that 'Football is Family.'"


--The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Patrick Murray to a contract and placed fellow kicker Nick Folk on injured reserve with a minor injury classification, the team announced.


Folk missed three field-goal attempts in the Buccaneers' 19-14 loss to the New England Patriots last Thursday night. The 32-year-old Folk was 6 of 11 for field goals and 7 of 9 on extra points this season. He missed only four field-goal attempts (27 of 31) with the New York Jets in 2016.


Murray, who made 20 of 24 field-goal attempts for the Bucs during the 2014 season, won the recent kicking competition after Tampa Bay (2-2) reportedly worked out Cairo Santos, Mike Nugent, Andrew Franks and Josh Lambo.


--The Minnesota Vikings activated suspended wide receiver Michael Floyd to the 53-man roster and released running back Stevan Ridley prior to their game against the Chicago Bears.


Floyd, 27, was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. He was arrested for DUI on Dec. 12 in Scottsdale, Ariz., prompting his release two days later from the Arizona Cardinals. He pleaded guilty in February to extreme DUI (blood alcohol content of .150-.199) and served 24 days in Maricopa County (Ariz.) Jail before having to serve 96 days on house arrest.


Floyd signed a one-year contract with the Vikings as a free agent on May 10. He spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Cardinals and New England Patriots, who gave him a second chance by claiming him off waivers on Dec. 15. He played sparingly for New England but did catch a touchdown pass in Week 17.


--Buffalo Bills tight end Charles Clay underwent left knee surgery and will be out multiple weeks, coach Sean McDermott told reporters.


While McDermott said that had yet to speak to doctors about the severity of the injury, multiple outlets reported that Clay sustained a torn meniscus and MCL sprain following a low hit from safety Shawn Williams during Sunday's 20-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.


Nick O'Leary is expected to see additional snaps in place of the 28-year-old Clay, who has 20 receptions for a club-best 258 yards and two touchdowns this season. O'Leary collected a career-high five catches for 54 yards versus the Bengals.

 

[CNOTES]

Tuesday’s six-pack


— Oregon State football coach Gary Anderson walked away from the school Monday, leaving $12.630,555 on the table. Chances are the story is not that simple.


— This is the 7th straight season Oklahoma’s football team lost a game when they were favored by double digits in that game.


— Minnesota Twins smartly gave manager Paul Molitor a 3-year contract extension.


— If I ran baseball for 24 hours, I’d ban coaches/managers from visiting the mound.


— Knicks’ Michael Beasley is 28— Knicks are his 6th NBA team, with 56+ games played at 4 of his other 5 stops.


— ESPN isn’t holding its 24-hour college hoop marathon this year; sounds like a 1-year thing, with the 16-team PK80 event in Oregon a one-time event honoring Nike’s Phil Knight.


****************************


Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……..

13) Connie Hawkins was the first basketball player I can remember palming the ball, just holding it in his hand like it was a softball. He had huge hands and was a great player— the Phoenix Suns jumped from 16-66 in their expansion season to 39-43 in his first NBA season, then 48-34 and 49-33 the next two years.


12) Suns lost a coinflip with the Milwaukee Bucks for the first pick in the 1969 NBA Draft- the Bucks took Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of 3 or 4 best players of all-time. Suns took a center from Florida named Neal Walk with the #2 pick, but the NBA also awarded them to rights to Hawkins, who played a couple years in the ABA after being wrongly banned from the NBA after a point-shaving investigation that never implicated him— he sued the NBA and collected $1.3M from the league, which was a boatload of money in the late 60’s.


11) Hawkins passed away over the weekend at age 75; he was Dr J before Dr J and ESPN— if he played today, he’d have a huge sneaker deal and would be on highlight shows every night. I’m trying to think of a modern comparison to him— Giannis Antetokounmpo comes to mind. Big wingspan, rangy, fun to watch.


As a little kid just learning basketball, Hawkins was great fun to watch. RIP, sir.


Elsewhere in the world……..
10) Alex, I’d like “Career Suicide for $200″, please: Miami Dolphins’ offensive line coach quit Monday after a video was released on social media showing him snorting a white powdery substance. Dolphins have scored three TD’s on 42 drives in their 2-2 start; this genius was making between $2.5M-$3M a year as a freakin’ assistant coach.


25 years as an NFL assistant coach; hope he saved some of that money.


9) Watched the Celtics-76ers preseason game Friday night; Sixers’ TV guys said the goal for Ben Simmons this year was “70% from the foul line.” Say what?


Simmons shot 67% from the line at LSU two years ago; the goal should be 75% or 80%, not 70%; what did he do all last year when he wasn’t playing? Should’ve been working on his shot, yes?


He can really pass the ball, he is a high-level passer, but he has to develop a pull-up jumper to make defenses respect him, which takes a defender out of passing lanes. He picked up at least two charging fouls against the Celtics.


Simmons is still a young guy (21) but if he wants to be a great player, his shooting has to improve.


8) UCLA held a outdoor practice at Venice Beach over the weekend; it is good to live in southern California. UNLV held an outdoor practice in downtown Vegas last year; its a cool gimmick to get the fanbase interested.


I’m curious to see UCLA without Lonzo Ball this year; he made all his teammates a lot better. They’re not going to get as many open looks this year without Ball running the offense.


7) Houston Rockets were sold this summer for $2.2B, thats how profitable NBA teams are now, with the worldwide appeal of the league.


6) Why the Sacramento Kings are almost always bad:


They had the 20th pick in the NBA Draft in June, and took Duke’s Harry Giles, who when he was a 9th grader, was the #1 player in the high school Class of 2016, but then he tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus in his left knee in 2013, then his ACL in his right knee in 2015..


In his one year at Duke, he averaged 3.9 ppg in 11.5 mpg, hardly numbers for a first round draft pick, but the Kings being the Kings, used the 20th pick on him.


Now Sacramento says Giles is out until at least January, to “improve his overall health.” Oy.


5) Sacramento’s record the last 10 years:
33-49, 38-44, 17-65, 25-57, 24-58, 22-44, 28-54 (twice), 29-53, 33-49, 32-50.


4) 76ers gave Joel Embiid a 5-year, $148M contract extension; he played 25.4 mpg in 31 games LY, scoring 20.2 ppg, grabbing 7.8 rpg. Missing 51 games is a red flag; wonder what kind of games played incentives are in the contract.


Embiid scored 11.2 ppg in 23.1 mpg in his one season at Kansas, then sat out his first two years in the NBA with injuries- he is 23 years old.


3) Big 14’s conference basketball tournament is leaving the midwest and is headed to Manhattan in March; thats New York City, not Manhattan, Kansas.


Because the Big East has Madison Square Garden in Championship week, the Big 14 agreed to have its tournament a week earlier than normal, which means their teams will all play a couple of conference games the first week in June, to make up for the week the league loses in March due to moving the tournament up.


This is a 5-game stretch of Indiana’s schedule in late November/early December:
Nov 29- Duke, Dec 2- @ Minnesota, Dec 4- Iowa, Dec 9- @ Louisville, Dec 16- Notre Dame. Tough stretch of games for the Hoosiers.


2) Washington State football coach Mike Leach played rugby, not football, in his college days at BYU. He is one of only four I-A head coaches who didn’t play college football.


BYU had great passing teams in those days; Leach credits LaVell Edwards for having a big influence on the Air Raid offense Leach runs now.


1) Baseball playoffs:
Astros 5, Red Sox 4— Houston moves on to ALDS, using Justin Verlander in relief.
Cubs 2, Nationals 1— Chicago takes 2-1 lead in this series.

 

[CNOTES]

NFL Record For Sept......Based on 5 units ( Best Bets and Opinons )


Totals...................41 - 30 - 1...........57.74%...........+ 40.00


Best Bets:


Best Bets Total.............7 - 6......+2.00............7 - 7.........- 3.50................- 1.50




Dog Of The Month........1 - 0


Total Of the Day...........1 - 0




*******************************


NFL Record For Oct......Based on 5 units ( Best Bets and Opinons )


10/09/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
10/08/2017 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00
10/05/2017 1-0-1 100.00% +5.00
10/02/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/01/2017 9-12-0 42.86% -21.00


Totals............21 - 23 - 1....47.72%....-21.50




Best Bets:...................ATS...................Unit s........... ..O/U.............Units...............Total


10/09/2017.................1 - 0.................+5.00............1 - 0...........+10.00.........+10.00


10/08/2017.................3 - 3.................-1.50.............2 - 4...........-12.00...............-13.50


10/05/2017.................0 - 0 - 1.............0.00.............1 - 0...........+5.00................+ 5.00


10/02/2017.................1 - 0................+5.00.............0 - 1............-5.50.................- 0.50


10/01/2017.................4 - 4.................-2.00.............2 - 2............- 1.00.................- 3.00


Totals.........................9 - 7 - 1............+ 6.50...........6 - 7............-8.50................-2.00


Sunday Night 2 Team Parlay...........................0 - 2.................................-10.00

 

[CNOTES]

Sputtering Cardinals acquire Adrian Peterson from Saints
October 10, 2017


PHOENIX (AP) The Arizona Cardinals, with the worst rushing game in the NFL, have acquired running back Adrian Peterson from the New Orleans Saints in exchange for an undisclosed 2018 draft pick.


The 32-year-old Peterson has rushed for 11,828 yards and 97 touchdowns in his 10-plus pro seasons. The four-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection signed a two-year contract with the Saints during the offseason after spending his first 10 NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.


''We are always on the lookout for opportunities to improve our team and we look at this as one of those opportunities,'' Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said in a news release announcing the trade. ''What Adrian has accomplished in this league is well-established. Our needs for a spark in our running game right now is also obvious and we are excited to give him the chance to provide that.''


Peterson has played sparingly with little success for New Orleans. He's gained 81 yards in 27 carries, an average of three yards per attempt with a long run of 11.


With an offensive line that wasn't all that strong to begin with now riddled by injuries, the Cardinals (2-3) are averaging a league-worst 51.8 yards per game and 2.6 yards per carry.


To make room for Peterson, Arizona released running back Chris Johnson.


Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who grew up in Minnesota and still has a home there, is a good friend of Peterson. Fitzgerald sent out a tweet with an animated photo of a boy dancing happily under the heading ''My mood this morning.''


Cornerback Patrick Peterson tweeted ''Today is a good day!!! Welcome to the (hash)BirdGang (at)Adrian Peterson!!! We got work to do.''


Arizona's players had Tuesday off and the team said Adrian Peterson would be at practice on Wednesday. The Cardinals were blown out at Philadelphia 34-7 last Sunday in one of coach Bruce Arians' worst losses in five seasons in Arizona. They are home against Tampa Bay this weekend,


The Cardinals undoubtedly are under no illusions that Adrian Peterson is the running back he was in his prime. But Keim figures he's an improvement over what they had before.


Arizona lost one of the game's best backs, David Johnson, in the season opener. Johnson, a first-team All-Pro at the flex position and second-team at running back last season, is out for at least another month while recovering from surgery to repair a fractured wrist.


The other running backs on the team are Andre Ellington, Kerwynn Williams and Elijhaa Penny.


The Cardinals had a chance to draft Peterson in 2007 but chose offensive lineman Levi Brown with the fifth pick overall, instead. The Vikings selected Peterson two picks later.


Peterson missed all but one game in 2014 because of an alleged case of child abuse in which he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless assault in an incident involving his then-4-year-old son.

 

[CNOTES]

NFL Overreactions: Big Ben finished, Jets getting started
October 10, 2017


Big Ben is cooked.


Maybe Ben Roethlisberger should've retired when he contemplated hanging up his cleats in the offseason. He suddenly turned into Ryan Fitzpatrick, tossing a career-high five interceptions in Pittsburgh's 30-9 loss to Jacksonville on Sunday.


Roethlisberger threw more touchdowns to the Jaguars than his own team, a week after Antonio Brown's threw a sideline ''temper tantrum'' because the veteran quarterback didn't see him wide open.


Roethlisberger connected with Brown 10 times for 157 yards against the Jaguars, but he tossed Pick 6s on consecutive series. The poor performance left him wondering if he lost it.


He hasn't.


Quarterbacks have terrible games sometimes. It happens to all the great ones. Roethlisberger is still one of the most clutch players in the league and the Steelers (3-2) remain the team to beat in the AFC North.


Here are more overreactions following Week 5:


---


OVERREACTION: J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS! Three straight wins has New York (3-2) thinking playoffs.


REALISTIC REACTION: Relax, Jets fans. You just beat the Browns. Everyone beats the Browns. See below. Tom Brady and the Patriots (3-2) are up next.


---


OVERREACTION: Cleveland (0-5) will go 0-16.


REALISTIC REACTION: They're 1-20 since passing on Carson Wentz. Maybe some of those draft picks they acquired will eventually help them win a game.


---


OVERREACTION: The Giants should sign Terrell Owens or Chad Johnson to replace Odell Beckham Jr.


REALISTIC REACTION: They're 0-5 and going nowhere. More playing time for guys on the practice squad.


---


OVERREACTION: Matt Moore will replace Jay Cutler as Miami's starting quarterback.


REALISTIC REACTION: Adam Gase isn't benching Cutler anytime soon.


---


OVERREACTION: Aaron Rodgers only needs a minute to lead the Packers (4-1) into the end zone.


REALISTIC REACTION: For sake of accuracy, that game-winning 75-yard drive against the Cowboys (2-3) took 1:02.


---


OVERREACTION: The Seahawks (3-2) showed the Rams (3-1) who's the boss in the NFC West.


REALISTIC REACTION: If Cooper Kupp caught Jared Goff's third-down pass in the final minute, the Rams would've won.


---


OVERREACTION: Cam Newton is back to his MVP form.


REALISTIC REACTION: It was only two weeks ago he tossed three picks against the Saints.


---


OVERREACTION: Derek Carr will rescue the Raiders (2-3) if he returns next week.


REALISTIC REACTION: They have more problems than just an injured quarterback.


---


OVERREACTION: Dak Prescott's rookie season was a fluke. He already has as many interceptions (4) in five games.


REALISTIC REACTION: Prescott may never match the numbers he posted last year and he can still be an excellent quarterback for a decade.


---


OVERREACTION: Adam Vinatieri will kick until he's 50.


REALISTIC REACTION: He may outlast Brady.


---


OVERREACTION: The Bears should let punter Pat O'Donnell play quarterback.


REALISTIC REACTION: A 38-yard TD pass on a fake punt isn't the same as doing it against a blitz.


---


OVERREACTION: Jerick McKinnon will make Vikings fans forget Dalvin Cook.


REALISTIC REACTION: Take out his 58-yard TD run and he averaged 2.5 yards per carry.

 

[CNOTES]

Teammates have QB Trubisky's back
October 10, 2017


LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky took the blame, and Chicago Bears teammates said to forget it.


The Bears came away convinced they have a quarterback who could impact their future after Monday's 20-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, even if their new starter's key fourth-quarter interception led to the defeat.


"He just has a very quiet confidence about him," Bears guard Kyle Long said. "His preparation is obvious. He knows all the checks. He knows how to calm down a group of fat guys out there that are frantic."


Most important, Trubisky showed he knew the first rule of quarterbacking by taking blame from teammates.


"You just feel like it's your fault, that you could have done more to help our team win," Trubisky said. "I just felt like it was on me. They know I'm going to go back to work. I'm going to fix my mistakes, and I'm going to watch this film and be critical of myself. They know I'm going to get better. I appreciate them having faith in me and having my back, but yeah, I feel like it's on me."


Trubisky's admission came after a 12-for-25 effort for 128 yards with a touchdown and the interception. He also lost the ball on a sack and the two turnovers set up six Vikings points.


"I thought he was really good," tight end Zach Miller said. "He extended plays for us, made plays downfield, made plays with his legs, put us in position to win that game."


Trubisky threw his 20-yard touchdown pass to Miller. And it was also Miller who Trubisky targeted when he threw an interception to Minnesota's Harrison Smith while he tried to roll right and improvise.


"I have a lot of faith in my receivers out there and Zach (Miller)," Trubisky said. "I was just trying to do too much outside of what I need to do. I just need to know the situation and throw the ball away and go play. I just forced one. Can't do that, can't put my team in that situation."


Trubisky's mobility was apparent all night in an offense that took on a drastically different look than the style of attack the Bears displayed when Mike Glennon started. What was the same was turnovers killing the Bears, just as when Glennon led them to a 1-3 first quarter of the season.


Trubisky ran for 22 yards on the night and early in the game. Especially early, he involved wide receivers in the passing game with six completions for 73 yards. This was a problem for the offense when Glennon was at quarterback.


Trubisky seemed to thrive on the excitement in the stadium over his debut, although the Bears couldn't manage a touchdown in the first half despite a big field-position edge.


"He was calm, he was cool," wide receiver Kendall Wright said. "We can't put him in those positions. We had plenty of opportunities to win that game before the last few minutes. We had plenty of chances in that game to win it early on."


Head coach John Fox seemed satisfied with the leadership ability he saw in Trubisky, as well as the skills.


"I think our guys feel it," Fox said. "They feel his presence. He scrambled for a first down. They were able to do some different things with him as far as attacking the corner. Those things will grow with time."


Fox felt it, as well.


"He's got what it takes," Fox said. "There's no doubt in my mind. For a first game, I go back to watching guys like (Joe) Montana in his first game. I've seen a few of them. I'm not making comparisons at this point. But he will do nothing but get better."


--Linebacker John Timu suffered a knee injury and left the game in the second half. More will be known on the status of Timu later in the week. Losing Timu was a big blow to the defense as he was playing for suspended starter Danny Trevathan, and was calling defensive signals. It left Christian Jones calling signals, and when Jonathan Anderson came on the field as Timu's replacement, the Vikings began working the short passing game and picking at Bears linebackers. Trevathan returns to his regular spot this week, but a lengthy injury for Timu further depletes a thin roster spot. The Bears have Jerrell Freeman (pectoral muscle) on injured reserve and Nick Kwiatkoski is week-to-week with a pectoral injury.


In addition, linebacker Willie Young did not play or practice on Friday and Saturday because of a triceps injury that requires surgery. He was placed on injured reserve Tuesday. Without Young, Leonard Floyd took 93 percent of the snaps and Pernell McFee had 64 percent, while Sam Acho was on for 41 percent.


--Cornerback Marcus Cooper (back) missed the game with an injury suffered on Saturday in practice. His status for this week's game with Baltimore is uncertain. Cooper had been splitting time in the lineup with cornerbacks Prince Amukamara and Kyle Fuller.


REPORT CARD VS. VIKINGS


--PASSING OFFENSE: C-minus - The late-game interception and a 60.1 passer rating ruined what might have been an otherwise better debut for Mitchell Trubisky. He committed the mistake almost all young passers do and took it upon himself to throw into too tight of a window when it didn't need to be done. Receivers dropped three balls and penalties bogged down the passing game in general. Trubisky started out looking sharp on timing passes, and hit on seven of his first nine passes. But then as he moved more and tried to go downfield more, his numbers tailed off to five completions in his final 16 attempts.


--RUSHING OFFENSE: C-plus - Again penalties proved big, and not all on the offensive line. Wide receiver Markus Wheaton wiped out a TD with an open-field hold that Jordan Howard didn't even need to break off a 42-yard scoring run. Howard was running strong on outside zone plays, but when the Bears turned inside they normally hit a wall. Tarik Cohen had his worst overall game with 13 yards rushing and minus-6 yards receiving.


--PASS DEFENSE: B-minus - The pass rush had to play two different types of passers because Case Keenum was far more mobile than injured starter Sam Bradford. They still did a respectable job of keeping Keenum from doing big damage down the field or outside on rollout or bootleg passes. Overall, holding Minnesota's dangerous wide receiver group to 57 yards receiving is a strong day even without - once again - an interception.


--RUSH DEFENSE: C-plus - Allowing a season-long 58-yard TD run to Jerick McKinnon after pulling within 10-9 was a rare misstep by the Bears' defensive front, as they failed at gap control. Lacking both John Timu and starter Danny Trevathan at linebacker was a key problem.


--SPECIAL TEAMS: B - The fake punt execution was superb on the part of punter Pat O'Donnell and running back Benny Cunningham. O'Donnell's 32.3-yard and 43.9-yard gross punting averages were more the result of trying to place the Vikings deep in their own territory. He wasn't kicking for distance. Then again, he missed on a few tries to pin them deep and punted into the end zone. Cohen was pulled on the final Bears punt return after he'd been running in circles and trying to break punts for big gainers when there were opportunities for yardage that he passed up. He also misjudged a punt and opted to signal for a fair catch on another punt when he could have gained yardage.


--COACHING: C-minus - More was expected from coordinator Dowell Loggains in terms of how he used Trubisky. Although the plan let Trubisky be mobile, it didn't let him try to be a passer enough. There was too much bootlegging and moving to throw, and the decisive interception came on a play that's a danger with such plays - a throwback against the grain. The worst decision by Loggains was leaving Trubisky in a naked backfield at his own 20 when they had been successful keeping a back in for extra blocking much of the night. They paid for this with a sack and lost fumble, resulting in a Vikings field goal. Special teams coach Jeff Rodgers had ideal timing for springing the fake punt. The execution was flawless - Cunningham caught a pass over the middle from a punter better than many of the Bears wide receivers caught passes over the middle from Trubisky. Fox and the staff looked silly on a delay of game penalty after they had called a timeout to prevent one. They tried blaming officials, but if everything had been made clear to players in advance there would never have been so much confusion.

 

[CNOTES]

Roethlisberger: I'm still one of the best
October 10, 2017


PITTSBURGH (AP) On second thought, Ben Roethlisberger believes he still has ''it.''


In fact, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is pretty sure he's never lost ''it,'' even if he found himself somewhat facetiously wondering it out loud after his career-high five interceptions led to a stunning loss to Jacksonville on Sunday.


''I have that belief that I'm one of the best that's ever done it, one of the best that's ever played this position and you have to have that confidence,'' Roethlisberger said Tuesday during his regular radio appearance on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh.


Even if it didn't look like it at times against the Jaguars. The Steelers were held without a touchdown at home for the first time in a decade on a day the franchise leader in every major statistical passing category threw five passes to the Jaguars, two of which Jacksonville returned for touchdowns to turn Pittsburgh's third-quarter lead into a its worst home loss since 2006.


A visibly frustrated Roethlisberger placed the blame solely on his shoulders and said ''maybe I don't have it anymore'' when asked if he could put his finger on what's gone wrong. The Steelers (3-2) are averaging just 20 points a game heading into Sunday's visit to Kansas City (5-0).


A day later, Roethlisberger went back to work energized and insisted his brief flirtation with retirement in the offseason has nothing to do with his current struggles. Roethlisberger has just six touchdowns against seven interceptions through five games and his 75.8 quarterback rating is nearly 20 points below his career average.


''If you're asking me is my heart into it, I'll say 100 percent,'' Roethlisberger said. ''I love this game, I love this sport, I love my teammates, the fans. I give it everything I have.''


Roethlisberger said Sunday that he wasn't concerned with his mechanics but added he wasn't a ''guru.'' He did talk to his agent, Ryan Tollner, about his performance. Tollner, who played quarterback at the University of California, assured Roethlisberger there was nothing wrong. Roethlisberger is completing just 61.5 percent of his passes. He hasn't completed below 64 percent over the course of a full season since 2012.


''I don't think there's anything there,'' Roethlisberger said. ''Honestly, I don't think your talent, it doesn't go away. It goes awry sometimes, but it doesn't go away.''


The two-time Super Bowl winner likened himself to a ''cowboy,'' one with plenty of drive left. Coach Mike Tomlin downplayed Roethlisberger's postgame comments, well attuned to his quarterback's tendency to blurt out his frustrations, ones that dissipate when given proper time to cool off.


''I don't overreact the way some of (the media) react,'' Tomlin said Tuesday.


Tomlin said Roethlisberger looked ''like a guy who was ready to gun-sling and get back at it'' while going through the usual Monday routine. Whatever moment of introspection Roethlisberger may have had appears to be over. It needs to be if the Steelers want to survive a difficult stretch.


Pittsburgh travels to Kansas City in a playoff rematch from January, hosts rapidly improving Cincinnati and visits Detroit before its bye week.


NOTES: Wide receiver Santonio Holmes, whose spectacular 6-yard touchdown reception with 35 seconds left gave the Steelers a 27-23 victory over Arizona in the 2009 Super Bowl, officially retired as a member of the Steelers on Tuesday. Holmes caught 235 passes for 3,835 in four seasons with Pittsburgh before being traded to the New York Jets in 2010. Holmes, who last played for the Chicago Bears in 2014, finished his career with 389 receptions for 6,030 yards and 36 touchdowns while playing for the Steelers, Jets and Bears.

 

[CNOTES]

Eagles DT Fletcher Cox hopeful of return
October 10, 2017


Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox was a full participant in Tuesday's practice after sitting out the last two games with a calf injury.


Cox, who was listed as limited in Monday's walk-through session, told reporters that he was uncertain if he would play for the Eagles (4-1) in Thursday's game against the Carolina Panthers (4-1).


The All-Pro injured his calf late in the second quarter of a 27-24 win over the New York Giants on Sept. 24.


Cox has four tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in three games this season. The 26-year-old Cox got off to a strong start in 2016 with four sacks in his first six games before registering just 2.5 more in the following 10.


*********************


Panthers WR Funchess nursing knee injury
October 10, 2017


Carolina Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess was held out of Tuesday's practice with a knee injury.


Funchess is two days removed from reeling in a team-high seven receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown in Carolina's 27-24 win over the Detroit Lions.


Panthers coach Ron Rivera told reporters that he wasn't concerned with Funchess' absence from practice.


"Funchess should be fine. Just sore from a very physical game," Rivera said Tuesday.


The 23-year-old Funchess has 14 catches for 123 yards and three touchdowns in the past two weeks and leads all Panthers' wideouts with 24 receptions on the season. Rookie running back Christian McCaffrey leads the club with 27 catches.


Funchess has 269 receiving yards for Carolina (4-1), which hosts the Philadelphia Eagles (4-1) on Thursday.

 

[CNOTES]

Vikings: No new injury for Bradford, just knee wear and tear
October 10, 2017


EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) Another MRI on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford's left knee has revealed no additional injury, after he was pulled early from the game at Chicago because of continued discomfort.


Vikings head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman said Tuesday that Bradford does not have any ligament damage or bone bruising, just aggravation of the wear and tear in the joint that has hampered him for the past four weeks.


It's a common condition for someone whose knee has undergone two ACL reconstructions.


The Vikings beat the Bears 20-17 behind a strong second-half performance by backup Case Keenum, who started the three previous games in place of Bradford.


Sugarman said there was unanimous confidence on the coaching and medical staffs that Bradford was well enough to start Monday.


---


Falcons promote defensive lineman Tupou from practice squad
October 10, 2017


FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) The Atlanta Falcons have signed defensive lineman Taniela Tupou to the active roster.


Tupou had been on the team's practice squad. He fills the roster spot left vacant when backup defensive tackle Jack Crawford was placed on injured reserve with a biceps injury on Oct 3.


Atlanta, coming off its bye week, is hoping to have some injured players return on defense for Sunday's game against Miami.


The Falcons were without injured linebacker Vic Beasley (hamstring), free safety Ricardo Allen (concussion) and defensive end Courtney Upshaw (knee/ankle) in their 23-17 loss to Buffalo on Oct. 1. Allen, Beasley and Upshaw returned to practice on Monday.


Two key starters on offense, wide receiver Julio Jones (hip) and right tackle Ryan Schraeder (concussion) also are expected to play this week.

 

[CNOTES]

FANTASY PLAYS: Taking stock of Cooper, Jones and others
October 10, 2017


One of the biggest disappointments of the fantasy football season has been Amari Cooper.


Each year, Cooper is talked about as having the potential to finish as a top 10 wide receiver, and each year he's drafted ahead of Raiders teammate Michael Crabtree. It looks like Crabtree will finish ahead of Cooper for the third straight season. With Week 5 in the books, Crabtree is currently ranked No. 15 in point-per-reception leagues, and he missed one game with a chest injury.


Cooper is the 74th-ranked wideout in PPR, catching only 13 of the 33 balls thrown his way for 118 yards. He only has four catches for 23 yards in his last three games.


The window to buy low on Cooper has never been more open, especially with the uncertainty of quarterback Derek Carr, who will be back soon. EJ Manuel is not as good as Carr and was only able to connect with Cooper once last week. Cooper is not this bad, but the question is: Do you want him? If you have three or four wideouts producing right now, then you have no need for Cooper and can deal him for some running back depth. Despite the poor performances of late, Cooper still has name value and there are people out there who want him because of his upside.


Cooper still has the Broncos and Giants on the schedule, but if you are sitting pretty in the standings, he's a great addition for a playoff run. Oakland plays Kansas City in Week 14, Dallas in Week 15 and Philadelphia in Week 16. All three of those matchups during the fantasy playoffs are juicy for Cooper. Some owners out there will take whatever they can get at this point. If you had Giants superstar Odell Beckham Jr., you'll need to upgrade at the position. Cooper may even be dropped in shallow leagues, and if that's the case, grab him.


There's a chance to buy low on Ezekiel Elliott this week. He's having a much better season than Cooper but he's only scored in two of his five games. Dak Prescott is throwing more and Elliott isn't a sure red zone bet, like last season. With Dallas on a bye this week and the uncertainty of the appeal process on his suspension, Elliott may be available for the taking. He's certainly worth the risk as he's a lock for 20-plus touches each week. He's also been involved more in the passing game in his second year.


Now is also a good time to buy low on Giants tight end Evan Engram with Beckham and Brandon Marshall done for the season. There's not a lot left for Eli Manning in the passing game. Manning was already looking toward Engram as the tight end entered Week 5 with the second most targets at the position. He did not catch any of the four balls thrown his way last week, but that is an outlier. His usage is about to go up.


Aaron Jones was pretty impressive for the Green Bay Packers last week against the Dallas Cowboys. Filling in for an injured Ty Montgomery, Jones put up 125 yards on the ground and found the end zone for the second straight game. If you are desperate for wins and Jones is an RB2 for you, then hold, but if he's your third or fourth capable back on your team, then see what you can get, assuming you don't own Montgomery. There is likely an 0-5, 1-4 or 2-3 team out there in need of a win this week and Jones could help them out. The time to sell Jones is now before Montgomery returns and takes his job back. There's a chance Montgomery won't get the full workload he once had when he returns, but he'll be involved, and Jones won't be as involved.


Perhaps you could get Joe Mixon. Mixon finally scored his first rushing touchdown last week, and while his numbers were underwhelming again, he dominated the touches in the backfield for a third straight week. With the Bengals on bye this week, Mixon is yet again available for the taking.

 

[CNOTES]

QB Wentz lighting up defenses on third down
October 10, 2017


PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz had the best game of his young career Sunday against Arizona, throwing for 304 yards and his first four-touchdown performance. He had a 100-plus passer rating for the first time since Week 4 of his rookie season.


But the big story was what Wentz did on third down in the 34-7 win. Actually, what he's done in the first five games on third down.


Wentz completed 11 of 12 third-down passes against the Cardinals for 225 yards and three touchdowns. Through five games, he's first in the league in third-down passing with a 137.8 passer rating, more than 17 points ahead of some guy named Tom Brady, who is second in third-down passing.


"We've emphasized situational football since the spring," said Wentz, who will lead his 4-1 team against the 4-1 Carolina Panthers Thursday night at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. "Situational football is huge. That's what separates good teams.


"To be effective on third down and stay on the field, that helps time of possession. That helps the defense. It's a big part of the game."


Thanks largely to Wentz and the passing game, the Eagles are first in the NFL in third-down efficiency through five games. They've converted 53.4 percent of their third-down opportunities. The Panthers are second with a 50.0 third-down conversion rate. Whoever wins the third-down battle Thursday night is likely to win the 60-minute war.


Last year, the Eagles finished 20th in third-down efficiency and Wentz finished 28th in third-down passing. Only Blake Bortles and Ryan Fitzpatrick had worse third-down passer ratings.


But that was then and this is now. He is a better quarterback and he has better receivers, including wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith. Against the Cardinals Sunday, he threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Smith on a third-and-five, and a 72-yard scoring pass to Nelson Agholor on a third-and-19.


"He's a better quarterback, which is a big part of it," head coach Doug Pederson said. "Another part is the personnel we have (this year) on offense helps that. The offensive-line protection helps that.


"This is one of those things we talked all spring and summer about with him. Third downs. Emphasizing the third downs."


On Thursday night, they'll be going up against a pretty good Carolina defense that is 10th in third-down defense and has 17 sacks.


SERIES HISTORY: 10th regular-season meeting. Eagles lead series, 6-3. The last meeting was in 2015 in Charlotte in Chip Kelly's final season as head coach. The Panthers won, 27-16, dominating the Eagles on the ground. They rushed for 204 yards, including 125 by Jonathan Stewart. The most memorable game of the series was when they met in the 2003 NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia. The Panthers won that game as well.


NOTES, QUOTES

--The Eagles have given Carson Wentz a lot more freedom this season to change calls at the line of scrimmage. He did it at North Dakota State in the pro-style offense he played there, which has put him ahead of a lot of second-year quarterbacks in the league who came out of a college spread and had to learn pre-snap reads from scratch.


"He's not hesitating to make a call or make an adjustment," offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. "But it hasn't gotten out of control. That's what I like. An immature young player might just start doing it at will. Carson has demonstrated control and restraint in not getting crazy with it and knowing when to pick his spots. And he's picked them."